Containers and interfitting hoops therefor



Nov. 5, 1957 A. J. EUGAN CONTAINERS AND INTERFITTING HOOPS THEREFOR Filed Aug. 26, 1953 INVENTOR. ANTHONY J. EUGAN United Si patehf CDNTAINERS AND nsrnnnrrnmo noors v THEREFOR Anthony J. Eugan, East St- Louis, Ill. Application August 26, 1953, Serial NO. 376,596

11 Claims. (Cl. 220-2341) This invention relates .to containers and .interfitting hoops therefor, and more particularly to an improved formation or location .of hoop or hoops on a liquid container such as used for shipping and storage purposes, typically and by way .of example, ,steelharrels or drums llsually provided with rolling rings or hoops. 7

Conventional types of steel drums, several sizes of which are well known in the trade, are usually formed of a cylindrical body with end heads welded or clamped into assembly, such drums usually including end chines, a sput or sputs providing bungs for liquid filling and withdrawal, as well as air admission incident to withdrawal. Usually a pair of rolling hoops are provided perimetrally and between the ends of the drum in order to facilitate rolling the drum over short distances to save the time and labor of lifting same incident to manual transportation.

In the conventional steel barrels or drums, the afore said rolling hoops are so located that when a plurality of the drums are closely grouped in a side-by-side relation with their axes parallel, the rolling hoops of adjacent drums are in contact, but the walls proper of the drum are substantially spaced by the hoops.

From the last stated condition there results a serious difiiculty upon bandingtogether a plurality of the drums for transportation thereof as a unit. A minor endwise or axial displacement of any one or more of a group .of barrels or drums thus banded together, although resulting in contiguity of the wall portions of adjacent barrels, nevertheless seriously slacks the steel band or other tension members holding the drums as a grouped unit.

placement of any number of perhaps all of the drums thus initially banded tightly together, and is destructive registry, and in secure, tightly-packaged relation.

An additional and important object realized by the present improvements, is to avoid any necessity for the usual pallettes often employed in the shipment of a group of steel drums, and to enable strapping and grouping of the drums and the shipment thereof in horizontal position, and with such assured maintenance oforiginally assembled relation of the drums, that same can belifted and moved as by the forkof a fork-lift trucker the like, all with substantial savings in manual labor and in lifting and loading or unloading time, whether the grouped unit be ofe npty or of filled drums. a

A still further and important objective of the present improvements is realized in a novel formation of hoop, particularly for cylindrical drums, to provide the interlock provisions aforesaid, and which improvements are equally susceptible of embodiment either in steel drums of types in which the rolling rings are formed integrally with the body of the drum, or in types in which the hoops Such a situation introduces a hazard of slippage or disice .are separately .formed and assembled .to the body of the drum, according .to preference.

Yet another andhighly advantageous object of the improvements is realized in a rolling hoop for barrels, .usually of metal, by reason of which there results a positive interlock in assembly of a grouped unit of the drums or barrels such that same are securely interfit'ted against relative movement within the unit, in directions either angularly or axially of the barrels.

The foregoing and numerous other objects will more readily appear from the followingdetailed description of certain preferred forms and modifications of the present improvements, particularly when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an end elevational view of a packaged unit consisting of a plurality of steel barrels or drums embodying the present improvements;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of two proximately disposed drums of the type such as shown packaged in Fig. v1, and illustrating the construction and arrangement of the rolling hoops made according to the present invention;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view as taken along 'line '33 of 'Fig. 1;

'Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through wall portions of adjacent drums, and rolling hoops of a somewhat modified form;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of a single drum showing rolling hoops of a further modified construction, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through wall and hoop portions of adjacently nested drums formed in accordance with the structure shown by Fig. 5.

Referring now by characters of reference to the drawing, there is illustrated by way of example a steel shipping drum characterized by a cylindrical body generally indicated at 15, the body being extended slightly at each end beyond the head portions 16 at the top and 17 at 'the bottom, to formchines 18 which are or may be of conventional form.

The provisions for filling and withdrawing the liquid content of the drum, are or may be conventional and include a bung sput 20 at the side, and an end bung sput 21 together with an air vent sput 22, the latter located in diametr ally opposite zones of the head 16. These are mentioned for completeness only, except for preference of a specific location thereof in reference to the parts of the novel hoop structure, later to be described.

The rolling hoop structure embodying the present improvements includes in the present example, a series of spaced, somewhat higher (in reference to the bottom of the drum when upright) substantially linear portions 25, intervening which are a plurality of similar substantially linear portions 26 in each hoop. By preference each hoop is of course of a substantially circular form in plan, since it engages the wall of the drum body proper 27 substantially fully perimetrally of such wall. Each hoop or hoop formation consists of a series of spaced, alternate uppermost formations 25, and a similar relatively lower series comprised of the formations 26, intervening the formations 25. These linear formations are thus alternately higher and lower, considered vertically of the drum, and by preference the spacing between center lines of the formations of each series, is substantially equal on each side of a median hoop line, indicated at MHL, such spacing likewise being substantially equal to the width of the stock of which the hoop is formed, or of the hoop portion proper if formed integrally with the wall 27. It is also a preference angularly tostagger the paired hoops on each drum so that a portion 25 on the upper hoop, lies just above a portion 25 of the lower hook (Fig. 2).

It will now have appeared that there results from the described staggered relation of parts of the hoops, a series of relatively projecting portions intervened by a series of recesses which, when the drums are contiguously assembled, serve to receive the projections, thus' positively interlocking the barrels or drums against endwise displacement in either direction when oncelocated in substantial registry, and by reason of the interfitting relations of the projections and recesses of the hoops, these latter will serve to prevent any substantial rotation of any of the grouped drums about its own axis, when the drums of a group are closely and securely tied together.

Although it is quite possible, particularly when the hoop structures (generally indicated at 30) are formed integrally with the body or wall 27 of the drum, to utilize a discontinuous series of the linear formations 25-46 in the hoop, there is shown as preferred, a series of alternately ascending and descending ramp portions 31 which with the linear portions 25 and 26 provide an uninterrupted substantially fully circular hoop structure.

As illustrative of the possibility of a separate hoop formation, Fig. 4 shows in section an identical arrangement of parts of the hoop, in which the two series of staggered linear interlock portions are characterized by the same reference characters, supplemented by the sufiix letter A, the hoops being attached to drum walls 27A as by welding. In this arrangement, in which the hoops are or may be separatelyformed, an alternate suitable clamping provision may consist of apertured ears receiving an attachment bolt or screw (not shown).

One suggested and proven arrangement for grouping a plurality of the drums provided with the present improvements, is shown by Fig. 1, wherein it will appear that a center drum of the packaged unit, indicated at CD, is peripherally surrounded by six adjacently disposed drums PD. In such an arrangement the drums are held firmly in this grouped relation, as a packaged unit, by the provision of steel strapping elements SS, several forms or makes of which are well known as such in the trade. Such strapping, widely used for shipping of various forms of larger heavy packages, includes a clamp CL which serves to keep the strapping SS under considerable tension and frictionally secure against displacement, laterally of the strapping, off of the packaged unit. In each of the zones of linear contiguity of the adjacent drums of the unit, for example, in the zones indicated at CZ, a higher hoop portion 25 will contiguously overlie a lower hoop portion 26 of an adjacent drum hoop, or a reversed relation thereof will obtain. While it is of course true that, because of the circular section of both the hoops and the drums, the actual overlap of portions 25 and 26 of adjacent drums will exist only through a few degrees of are, this extent of overlap is fully adequate to prevent any movement of any one drum in a direction along its axis, thus keeping all of the drums of the group firmly and accurately in mutual axial registry. It will likewise have appeared that since it is impossible for any one drum thus packaged, to rotate about its axis more than a few degrees at most, the original relation of the drums, once thus firmly packaged, will be retained until release of the steel strapping SS.

It is a particular preference so to locate the hoops of the novel forms described, angularly with respect to the bungs or bung sputs so that the latter will serve as indicia at the ends of the drums, to locate visually the advantageous angular positions of parts of the hoops with respect to each other. Any other desired form of marking, as by painted dots or arrows (not shown) may be employed in addition to the bungs, but will not usually be necessary.

The effect aforesaid is realized by location of a side bung sput such as 20 in a vertical plane which intersects ramp portions 31, and likewise by locating the vent sput 22 or the diametrally opposite liquid sput such as 21 in a vertical plane which likewise intersects the ramp portions 31 of the hoops. By so locating the hoops with respect to the sputs, the latter provide a positive indication of a safe position for manually grasping the ends of any given drum for removal thereof, or similarly for assembly thereof into a packaged unit such as described.

Although it is quite possible and practicable to constitute a packaged unit of the interlocking drums of a smaller or greater number than the group of seven illustrated, such a grouping has been found particularly useful and advantageous for assembly into a unitary group, and through the resulting symmetrical arrangement of drums, to facilitate the tilting and handling of the separate drums or the packaged group, as by the use of a lift-fork truck or the like.

By way of illustration of a single preferred arrangement of the staggered interlocking portions of each of the hoops, whether separable or unitary, each of the hoop portions 30 is shown as divided into six aliquot parts between centers of the ramp portions 31; thus each of the linear portions 25 or 26, occupies substantially a degree are or one-sixth of the full hoop circle, Since other aliquot divisions of the circular hoop structure are possible, this expression of angular division should be understood as exemplary rather than as limiting.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a minor variation in construction of the hoops shown as formed integrally with a steel drum, but which form is equally susceptible of embodiment in separate hoop elements welded or otherwise attached to the drum after their formation. In Fig. 6, aliquot arcs 26B are disposed alternately to intervening equal aliquot arc portions 253, the hoops in this case being formed integrally with the walls proper 27B of the drums. The arrangement of bungs or bung sputs exemplified at 20B, as well as the end bungs (not shown) may be the same as utilized in the examples earlier described. This arrangement distinguishes from the hoop portions 25 and 26 (Fig. 2) principally by the doubled spaced hoop portions 258, the space between which is adequate to accommodate with working clearance, one of the hoop portions 26B, in the manner shown by the section of Fig. 6. This alternate arrangement, although slightly higher in costs, provides a somewhat more positive assurance against endwise displacement of the drums in either direction, when they are securely packaged together.

It will now have appeared that the embodiments described will serve fully to realize each of the several objectives first above expressly stated, as well as others implied from the particularized description. Although the invention has been described by detailing a preferred form and a minor modification thereof, the detail of description should be understood solely in an instructive, rather than in any limiting sense, numerous variants being possible within the fair scope of the claims hereunto appended.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a container, a plurality of perimetral hoops axially spaced along said container, each of said hoops being offset bodily alternately from one side to the other of a medial hoop line extending around said container, the amount of offset from said line being substantially one half the width of the hoop and the offsets of one hoop being axially aligned with the offsets of another hoop in angularly staggered relation, the axially aligned offsets which extend toward each other being adapted to engage the axially aligned offsets which extend away from each other of corresponding hoops on containers of the same construction when said containers are arranged in adjacent side by side relation, so as to prevent any axial displacement in either direction.

2. In a container, a pair of perimetral hoops axially spaced along said container, each hoop being offset bodily alternately from one side to the other of a medial hoop line extending around said container, the amount of offset from said line being substantially one half the width of the hoop and the offsets of one hoop being axially aligned with the offsets of the other hoop in angularly staggered relation, the axially aligned offsetswhich extend toward each other being adapted to engage the axially aligned offsets which extend away from each other of corresponding hoops on containers of the same construction when said containers are arranged in adjacent side by side relation with their axes in substantially parallel alignment, whereby to preventany axial displacement of said containers in either direction. I h

3. In a container, a plurality of rolling hoops located in axially spaced relation along the container, each of said hoops being offset bodily alternately from one side to the other of a medial hoop line extending around said container, the amount of offset from said line being substantially one half the Width of the hoop and the offsets of one hoop being axially aligned with the offsets of another hoop in angularly staggered relation, the axially aligned offsets which" extend toward each other being adapted to engage the axially aligned offsets which extend away from each other of corresponding hoops on containers of the same construction when said containers are arranged in adjacent side by side relation, whereby to prevent any axial displacement of said containers in either direction, the offsets of each hoop beingconnected by short ramp portions, the container being provided with heads at its opposite ends, and a sput located in a head of the drum and in an axial plane intersecting at least one of the ramp portions of a hoop on the container.

4. A container including a plurality of rolling hoops located in axially spaced relation along the container, each of said hoops being offset bodily alternately from one side to the other of a medial hoop line extending around said container, the amount of offset from said line being substantially one-half of the width of the hoop and the offsets of one hoop being axially aligned with the offsets of another hoop in angularly staggered relation, the axially aligned offsets which extend toward each other being adapted to engage the axially aligned offsets which extend away from each other of corresponding hoops on containers of the same construction when said containers are arranged in adjacent side by side relation, whereby to prevent any axial displacement in either direction, said offsets of each hoop being connected by short ramp portions, the container being provided with heads at its opposite ends, and an end sput located in a head of the container and in an axial plane intersecting at least one of said ramp portions of a hoop on the container, and a side sput carried by a wall of the container and located substantially in said plane.

5. In a cylindrical container, a plurality of perimetral hoops axially spaced along the container, each of said hoops being offset bodily alternately from one side to the other of a medial hoop line extending around the container to provide circumferentially extending planar portions on each side of said medial hoop line, the offsets of one hoop toward the longitudinal center of the container from its medial hoop line being axially aligned with the offsets of another hoop toward the longitudinal center of the container from its medial hoop line in angularly staggered relation and the offsets of said one hoop away from the longitudinal center of the container from its medial hoop line being axially aligned with the offsets of said other hoop away from the longitudinal center of the container from its medial hoop line in angularly staggered relation, and the amount of offset of each hoop from its respective medial hoop line being for a distance not substantially greater than one-half of the hoop width thereby to enable the axially aligned offsets which extend toward the longitudinal center of the container to engage axially aligned offsets which extend away from the longitudinal center of the container and vice versa of corresponding hoops on containers of the same construction when the containers are arranged in adjacent side by side relation so as to prevent any axial displacement in either direction.

6. In a cylindrical container, a plurality of rolling hoops axially spaced along the container and located between the chines thereof, each of said hoops having a series of-hoops portions alternately offset bodily relative to one another an amount substantially the width of said hoop portions first in one direction axially of the container toward one chine and thenin the opposite direction toward the other chine and providing circumferentially extending planar portions offset toward one or the other chine, the alternate hoop portions of one hoop that are offset toward one chine being axially aligned with the alternate hoop portions of the other hoop that are offset toward the other chine, the axially aligned offset hoop portions which extend toward each other being engageable with the axially aligned offset hoop portions which extend away from each other of corresponding hoops on containers of the same construction when the containers are arranged in adjacent side by side relation so as to prevent any axial displacement in either direction.

7. A substantially cylindrical metal container for the shipment and storage of liquids and the like, characterized by a plurality of rolling hoopslocated externally of the container and between the chines thereof, each of said hoops having substantially equal length substantially circumferential portions at opposite sides of a mean hoop line and providing circumferentially extending planar portions on each side of said mean hoop line, one-half of said portions lying on that side of the mean hoop line toward the nearer chine and the other half of said portions lying on that side of the mean hoop line away from the nearer chine, said portions lying toward the near chines being opposite each other and those portions lying away from the nearer chines being opposite each other, so that the container may be interfi-tted with containers having similarly arranged rolling hoops to prevent axial displacement thereof.

8. In a cylindrical container, a pair of perimetral hoops axially spaced along the container, each hoop being offset bodily alternately from one side to the other of a medial hoop line extending around the container to provide circumferentially extending planar portions on each side of said medial hoop line, the offsets of one hoop being axially aligned with the offsets of the other hoop in angularly staggered relation and the offsets of said hoops toward the longitudinal center of the container being aligned with each other and the offsets of said hoops away from the longitudinal center of the container being aligned with each other, and the amount of offset from said line being for a distance at least one-half the width of a hoop, thereby to enable the axially aligned offsets which extend toward the longitudinal center of the container to engage the axially aligned offsets which extend away from the longitudinal center of the container and vice versa of corresponding hoops on containers of the same construction when the containers are arranged in adjacent side by side relation with their axes in substantially parallel alignment so as to prevent any axial displacement of the containers in either direction.

9. In a cylindrical container, a plurality of perimetral hoops axially spaced along the container, each of said hoops being offset bodily alternately from one side to the other of a medial hoop line extending around said conrainer a distance not appreciably greater than a hoop width and providing circumferentially extending planar portions on each side of said medial hoop line, one-half the offsets of one hoop being axially aligned with and extending toward corresponding offsets of another hoop and the remaining offsets of said one hoop extending away from corresponding offsets of said other hoop in angularly staggered relation, the axially aligned offsets which extend toward each other being engageable with the axially aligned offsets which extend away from each other and vice versa of corresponding hoops on containers of the same construction when the containers are ar- 7 ranged in adjacent side by side relation so as to prevent any axial displacement in either direction.

10. In a cylindrical container, a plurality of perimetral hoops axially spaced along the container, each of said hoops having a series of hoop portions alternately oflset bodily relative to one another first in one direction axially of the container and then in the opposite direction to provide circumferentially extending planar offset portions, the hoop portions of one hoop offset toward the longitudinal center of the container being axially aligned with the hoop portions of another hoop offset toward the longitudinal center of the container in angularly staggered relation and the hoop portions of said one hoop ofiset away from the longitudinal center of the container being axially aligned with the hoop portions of said other hoop offset away from the longitudinal center of the container in angularly staggered relation, and the amount of offset being at least equal to the width of said hoop portions, thereby to enable the axially aligned offset hoop portions which extend toward the longitudinal center of the container to engage the axially aligned offset hoop portions which extend away from the longitudinal center of the container and vice verse of corresponding hoops on containers of the same construction when the containers are arranged in adjacent side by side relation whereby to prevent any axial displacement in either direction.

11. The combination and arrangement of elements as recited in claim 10, but further characterized in that alternate axially aligned offset hoop portions of said hoops are provided wtih other hoop portions axially ofifset in the opposite direction for a distance to provide a recess therebetween of a width not appreciably greater than the maximum width of the other axially aligned hoop portions, thereby to receive the other axially aligned hoop portions of corresponding hoops on containers of the same construction when the containers are arranged in adjacent side by side relation whereby to prevent any axial displacement in either direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 379,997 Souther Mar. 27, 1888 2,127,263 Lambert Aug. 16, 1938 2,659,484 Averill Nov. 17, 1953 

